NEW YORK _ Todd Frazier's Opening Day came with more hoopla than most. He had four at-bats, one hit and 24 ticket requests. He was the local guy _ Toms River, N.J., if you haven't heard _ playing in his first season opener for a local team, so there was an extra bit of excitement for Frazier and the family.
Game two, a 6-2 Mets win Saturday against the Cardinals, was different. No hoopla, just baseball.
Frazier had nearly as many RBIs (three) as ticket requests (four) during his 1-for-3 day and was in the middle of most of the Mets' productive, successful afternoon at Citi Field as they clinched a series win in their first of the season.
His double, hooked into the left-field corner in the first inning, drove in two runs to put the Mets up immediately and for good. His seventh-inning sacrifice fly, an unusual sequence in which center fielder Tommy Pham cut in front of left fielder Marcell Ozuna, provided an insurance run as manager Mickey Callaway navigated the late innings of a somewhat close game for the first time.
Frazier also filled the error column of his stat sheet _ a throwing miscue on a bouncer to third _ and made a pair of smooth barehanded plays.
Callaway's ultimate answer in the late innings was right-hander Jeurys Familia, who recorded a four-out, 30-pitch save.
For the second time in as many games, the Mets worked St. Louis' starter. This time it was Michael Wacha, who allowed four runs in 42/3 innings.
Travis d'Arnaud made Callaway look good for starting him at catcher by homering to left in the fourth inning. Catcher Kevin Plawecki reached base four times Thursday, but Callaway went with d'Arnaud in a lineup that he said he decided on even before the first game.
Yoenis Cespedes also launched his first homer of the year, going after a low curveball and pulling it over the left-field wall.
Right-hander Jacob deGrom, fighting a high pitch count throughout, lasted 52/3 innings, striking out seven and allowing one run. He struck out five batters his first time through the Cardinals' order, then struck out two of his next 13.
Half of the four hits deGrom gave up were bouncers to third.
Reliever Anthony Swarzak left the game with the Mets said was a sore left oblique. He allowed one run in 11/3 innings.
